Cooling tower



1951 G. M. SLAUGHTER ET AL 2,571,953

COOLING TOWER Filed Sept. 27, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 G. M SLAUGHTER GEO. PULS 3. INVENTORS ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1951 Filed Sept. 27, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 7 [1D I l7 l6 7 I nun mum on 2/ nun nun nun nun I] WAV/AV/AVAV/ ///1 L 5 (7/9. 8. l9 l9 17 a m B ya M, SLAUGHTER I I7 50 PULS IN VEN'TORS ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1951 Gibbs M. Slaughter and George Puls,

FortWorth, Tex,

Application September 27, 1948, Serial N 0. 51,452

Claim. (Cl. 26195).

This invention relates to cooling towers, andhas reference to a construction for cooling liquids, such as water, used in industrial power plants, air conditioning buildings, and thelike.

An object of the invention is to'provide'a proportionately smaller tower than those usedheretofore for cooling a given volumeof liquid froma known temperature to a required lower temperature.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate louvers heretofore used near the bases of cooling towers; and thereby reduce the height of the feed line, and thus efiect a reduction in the cost of pumping the liquid to the top. of the tower.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a distributing bucket arrangement whereby little, if any, liquid is blown from the top of the tower;

These and other objects of the invention. will become apparent from the following. description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational and sectional view of a cooling tower'embodying'the features of 'the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tubular tile employed in the packing of the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken elevational view of a modified form of packing.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, and illustrating a further modified form of packing.

Figure 5 is a partial plan view of the upper portion of the cooling tower illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are lateral sectional views taken on lines 66, 11 and 8-8, respectively, in Figuure 1.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional and elevational view of the packing supporting means, and

Figure 10 is a broken lateral sectional view of the side of a square aerating tube and showing corrugations therein for increasing the aerating surface.

The cooling tower illustrated in Figure 1 includes a rectangular concrete basin I having a square case 2 supported thereon by means of transverse lintels 3 extending across the upper edges of the basin walls. By reason of the described construction, air is permitted to enter the basin l at the upper extending ends thereof, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. An overflow pipe 4 is provided in one wall of the basin I to determine the liquid level in the latter, whereas a suction line 5' is similarly provid ed in one wall of the basin I and near the bottom of the same for returning the cooled liquidto its source. The case 2 is preferably made'of masonry, but within the scope of the invention. other materials may be substituted. Near the upper end of the case 2 there is a deck 6- hair-"- ing an opening I in its center. The periphery of the opening i is upturned, as at 8-, whereit' supports a vertical cowling 9 around a hori zontal and centraliy disposed fan H]. A radial support H is positioned within the opening I? in the deck 6 and has a reduction gear l2 p0 sitioned at its center and on which the fan HI T is mounted A motor I3 is mountedon the deck 6 and is connected with the reduction gear I 2 by means of ashaft l4 extending, through" the cowling' 9. The case 2 may be extendedup-- the structure.

Inverted T-beams 16 are positioned acrossthe'" upper edges of the basin 1 and parallel with" the lintels 3; gage and support opposing lower edges of straight cells H, such as ordinary rectangular hollow tile used for the walls of buildings. It will be noted that the last referred to cells I! are tubes Within the meaning of the present invention.

The packing I8 in the preferred form of the invention, Figure 1, consists of multiple tubes I9 of ceramic or other material having cross partitions 20 extending therethrough. The ends of the tubes l9 are obliquely formed relative to the lengths thereof, and which ends are parallel with each other. A lower layer of tubes [9 are stacked in rows with corresponding ends upon the straight cells I! and cover the plane defined by the latter. Subsequent layers of tubes [9 are stacked one upon the other in staggered relation relative to the layer of tubes therebeneath in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. Within the scope and spirit of the present invention straight cells I! may be stacked one upon the other in spaced staggered relation to form the packing l8, as illustrated in Figure 3. Sim ilarly, and as shown in Figure 4, the packing I8 may be in the form of cylindrical tubes 2| having ends formed at right angles with respect to their axial centers, and which tubes are also stacked in staggered relation with respect to the layers of said tubes.

Above the uppermost layer of tubes H! at the top of the packing I8, and shown in Figure l,

The flanges of the" T- beams en-' The corrugated or raked surface 2! of the tubes, particularly illustrated in Figure 10, has

to do with increasing the area of the liquid film over the tubes I1, 19 or 2|, and may be applied to the members 22 of the described pyramids. However, it is to be understood that such corrugated surface is referred to by Way of example and not as a limitation. It is also to be understood the ceramic material referred to, which tends to cooling the liquid, is also recited by way of example and not as a limitation.

In operation, the liquid to be cooled is delivered to the buckets 23 through the feed line 24, the distributing lines 25, and the nozzles 26. The water overflows the perimeters of the buckets 23, from where it descends by gravity over the supporting channels 22, and downwardly through the packing I8. By reason of the described staggered relation of the tubes IT, IS or 21, the liquid being aerated is distributed to all of said tubes and thinly disbursed over and through the same. After passing through the supporting straight cells or tubes ll, the aerated water falls into the basin I from where it is returned to its source, either through the overflow 4 or the suction line 5..

As the liquid moves downwardly from the buckets 23 to the basin I, an induced draft is effected by the fan H1 within the cowling 9. The direction of the draft is downwardly through the extending ends of the basin I, upwardly through the packing l8 and over the pyramided supporting channels 22, thence outwardly through the cowling 9. The induced draft further aerates and cools the liquid. The shape and arrangement of the supporting channels 22 allow passage of air therethrough and trap a portion of the liquid from the overflow buckets 23 therein. Accordingly, very little, if any, liquid is blown outwardly of the cowling 9 by the fan Ill.

The described form of the invention is not restrictive, but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claim:

What is claimed is:

A cooling tower comprising, in combination, a rectangular basin, a case supported on said basin inwardly of the ends thereof, a deck covering the upper end of said case, an annular upturned cowling around an opening in the center of said deck, a driven fan mounted in said opening and arranged to draw air upwardly therethrough, inverted T-beams arranged in spaced parallel relation across the lower end of said case, cells having vertical openings therethrough supported on the flanges of said T-beams, other cells stacked on the first said cells, downwardly directed water outlets in the upper end of said case and beneath said deck, upright distribution overflow buckets beneath said outlets and supported on the top of said cells.

GIBBS M. SLAUGHTER. GEORGE PULS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 556,040 Alberger Mar. 10, 1896 976,246 Alberger Nov. 26, 1910 1,014,371 Burhorn Jan. 9, 1912 1,138,081 Carrier May 4, 1915 1,293,270 Webb Feb. 4., 1919 1,974,768 Daniels et a1 Sept. 25, 1934 2,376,349 Frischer May 22, 1945 

